A potentially serious accident was narrowly avoided on Friday after a newly built ropeway in Bihar’s Rohtas district collapsed during a trial run, officials said. No casualties were reported, as workers present at the site managed to move to safety before the structure gave way. The project was planned to open early next year. The incident has raised fresh concerns over infra construction quality and safety standards in the state.
The mishap occurred during a load trial of the ropeway connecting Rohtas block with Rohtasgarh Fort and Rohiteshwar Dham. Officials said one of the pillars near Tower No. 5 failed during testing, triggering a chain reaction that led to the collapse of multiple pillars along with four trolley cabins.
The ropeway project is being executed by Ropeway and Resource Private Limited at an estimated cost of Rs 13 crore under the supervision of the Bihar State Bridge Construction Corporation. The project includes five towers and 12 trolley cabins, each designed to carry four passengers.
The ropeway is intended to provide easier access to Rohtasgarh Fort, which is located around 1,400 feet above sea level and is considered one of Bihar’s key tourist attractions. At present, visitors must negotiate a long and winding hill road to reach the site, a journey that can be particularly difficult during peak tourist seasons.
Load increase trial, wire stuck
An official from the Rohtas district administration said the accident took place during the second phase of testing. “Two trolleys had been successfully tested earlier during the first phase. The incident occurred when four empty cabins were being sent from the ground station towards the fort as part of the load increase trial,” the official told the Indian Express.
According to officials, a wire became stuck during the testing process, resulting in structural stress and damage. “During the trial and testing process, a wire got stuck, which led to the collapse,” the official said, adding that engineers and technical experts were present at the site when the incident occurred.
On the heels of inauguration
The ropeway was scheduled to be opened to tourists on January 1, 2026. However, the project has already faced repeated delays. While the initial survey was completed in 2020 and construction began in February that year, the original deadline of 14 months was missed, followed by several revised timelines.
Following Friday’s collapse, the Rohtas district administration said the incident had been taken seriously. Officials said the chairman of the Bihar State Bridge Construction Corporation has constituted a committee to conduct a thorough and transparent inquiry into the incident.